Diabetes Diet War (Hint: High carbing doesn't work)

US News ^ | 7/14/03 | Dara Mayers

[Nov3]

Diabetes diet war
The nutrition advice given to most diabetics might be killing them

By Dara Mayers
The bible says "make starches the star." That's the Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible, published by the American Diabetes Association. "Grains, beans, and starchy vegetables form the foundation of the Diabetes Food Pyramid. The message is to eat more of these foods than of any of the other food groups." For 17 million Americans with diabetes, diet is a crucial part of treatment, And what the ADA bible preaches, many doctors, nutritionists, and patients believe.

But what if the ADA's high-starch diet--another way of saying high-carbohydrate--is not healthy for people with diabetes but harmful to them instead?

This possibility is now the source of heated debate in the diabetes community. It is "the most controversial aspect of diabetes treatment today," says Scott King, editor-in-chief of Diabetes Interview magazine. How controversial? "Malpractice!" is how physician and diabetes specialist Lois Jovanovic, chief scientific officer of the Sansum Medical Research Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif., describes conventional high-carb nutrition advice.

Excerpted, click for full article

[Jeff Chandler]

>>Now my question for you is how did I gain so much weight even with exercise and following the "correct" diet? If you can't answer that then I think you should change your assumptions.<<

The answer is in your own experience. The "correct" diet was obviously not correct. When you cut down on carbs, you got your problem under control.

As for exercise, your exception does not disprove the rule. Most fat people are sedentary.

[FeliciaCat]

Yes! I try to stay away from "white" carbs (rice,potatoes,bread), they ALWAYS put weight on me faster then anything...I dont really diet just "maintain" - when I do, I always crave sweets the first few days..I also think my mens. cycle has something to do with this as well.

[junkyarddawg]

I have been trying to stick as close to the Atkins plan that I can. But, when I first went on it I lost 7lbs. in 3 days and I was have muscle spasms in my legs. Because of this I can't totally do the induction phase like it should be done what am I doing wrong.

[Jeff Chandler]

>>I also think my mens. cycle has something to do with this as well.<<

Ah, jeez, we could have done without that.

[FeliciaCat]

"I'm convinced that PETA had a hit out on him."

LOL! (Dont give them any ideas....)

[junkyarddawg]

have = having

[FeliciaCat]

Hey! I abbreviated it didnt I? ;)

[Investment Biker]

"Most" does not mean that the fact they are sedentary is the direct cause of their being overweight. In fact there is some evidence that the body stores fats when it recives a signal from the liver during the presence of excess insulin. And when is excess insulin present? It is present when there is a need to process high blood sugars. These high blood sugars are a direct result of consuming carbohydrates. IE carbohydrates=fat. This would be true for sedentary and non-sedentary individuals.

[Cooter]

Sounds like you need to take a potassium supplement or eat some low-carb, potassium-rich food like avocado.

[A_perfect_lady]

It works, but I don't know if it's always EASY. I've been doing a very low carb diet since November, and I have lost 31 lbs, and haven't been hungry.... but it has been rather slow for me. I'm averaging about 4 lbs a month. And I'm not a patient person. But I'm also not famous for my will power, so the very fact that I've been able to do this for so long is testament to the feel-good effects of protein.

[Minutemen]

Dont forget to wash down all those pizzas, potato chips and cinnamon rolls with a few liters of your favorite soda or "100% pure" fruit juice.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The first few days when the carbs are leaving my system I crave really strange things that I don't normally eat. Like cherry pie, frosting in the can, and tiramesu (sp?). Has anyone else had that kind of experience?? It goes away after about 48-72 hours, but it's a real uphill battle during that time.

I think they say you have those cravings for sweets because your body is lazy-- it doesn't want to have to work so hard to turn your food into energy-- and doesn't like having to work hard on the protein and fat.

[retrokitten]

That's the problems with most diet plans- they are too difficult to maintain.

Atkins is not difficult to maintain. I just happen to like cookies and pizza and they aren't exactly low-carb.

The goal should not be weight loss, but a lifelong change in eating HABITS. Bad eating habits must be replaced with good ones, and the plan must be simple.

Gee, thanks for this bit of wisdom. In my lifelong battle with my weight, including my eating disorder, I've never heard this before! /sarcasm

If you have to carry a carb or calorie chart and calulator around with you it won't last.

I never said that I do.

Sooner or later you will backslide and just put the weight back on.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I don't know why you picked my post to go off about your feelings about the dieting.

[junkyarddawg]

I love the diet but the muscle spasms came after only 2 days on the induction phase. It also affected my asthma but I think it was because I lost so much fluid in such a short time and I was not drinking enough water like he tells you to do. But I am now sticking as close as I can to it because I feel so much better without all the carbs. I am a carb addict.

[GraniteStateConservative]

On Atkins, you're supposed to adjust your carb intake until you stop losing weight once you've reached your goals. You then have to live with that daily carb level for the rest of your life. Eating crap for your body shouldn't be a part of someone's lifetime diet plan. You only have one body-- why do things to screw it up?

As far as managing it, counting carbs isn't all that hard after a while. You are able to memorize what portion sizes have what carb counts. Most bad foods are pretty obvious.

[retrokitten]

I was have muscle spasms in my legs

Make sure you are taking your vitamins! Extra potassium I think was already mentioned by another poster. Leg cramps (charley horses) area sign that you need more potassium. It also helps regulate your heart-beat.

[A_perfect_lady]

The first few days when the carbs are leaving my system I crave really strange things that I don't normally eat. Like cherry pie, frosting in the can, and tiramesu (sp?). Has anyone else had that kind of experience??

Yes!

It goes away after about 48-72 hours, but it's a real uphill battle during that time.

It took me about two weeks for those cravings to go away. I also just felt drawn and faint a lot. It was weird, I felt like the blood was being drained from my face, particularly right in front of my ears and around my hairline. But I've always gotten odd phantom pains when I'm going through carb withdrawal, like an ache in my throat and a sharp pain on the top of my head, as if someon has placed a big butcher knife on my skull and is rocking it back and forth.

[afraidfortherepublic]

tiramesu

It's easy to crave tiramisu! I think that it must be what the Bible describes as manna! ;^)

[retrokitten]

But I've always gotten odd phantom pains when I'm going through carb withdrawal, like an ache in my throat and a sharp pain on the top of my head, as if someone has placed a big butcher knife on my skull and is rocking it back and forth.

Damn. I hope you are feeling okay now.

[Hinoki Cypress]

Bravo, Sam! I also have lost 51 lbs since April on the Atkins Diet, and enjoy the heck out of filet mignon, eggs, bacon etc, 3x day. When I do eat pastas, I can drop the weight from them quickly, and continue on with my weight loss regimen. Dang, I do still miss some of those carbs.

The only downside: my cholesterol has jumped from 212 to 248. My doc wants a "lipid panel" done to see what's up with HDL and LDL quantities. Smalll price to pay, actually, and it's easily controlled with food changes and meds, I hear.